Abortion by Telehealth
Teleabortion Services
Your Choice, Your Call
Abortion by telehealth (also called teleabortion) is a safe, effective and private way to terminate an early, unplanned pregnancy. This can be done at home, involves two clinical consultations and taking abortion medications.
With abortion by telehealth, you do not need to visit a clinic or pharmacy – we deliver the medicines to you. For most people, an ultrasound from the nearest imaging service is all that you need to proceed.
MSI is the most experienced provider of abortion by telehealth in Australia. Our team of doctors, nurses and support services are experts in abortion care, and are committed to providing non-judgemental healthcare.
For more information about abortion by telehealth, please watch our short video.
MSI has led the way in abortion care in Australia, including abortion by telehealth, and we have the highest possible standards of care and service.
It can be hard to know how best to support someone who has had an abortion. We provide this guide for anyone who wants to learn more about timely and empathic support.
What are my costs for abortion by telehealth?
Abortion by telehealth is the lowest cost way to access abortion care.
People with Medicare Card
Your cost is $249* plus $70 for medications & delivery
People with Health Care Card
Your cost is $249** plus $48 for medications & delivery
People without Medicare
Your cost is $411*** plus $395 for medications & delivery
** $100 is payable before your first clinical consultation. A second payment of $357 is payable before your second clinical consultation. You are eligible for total Medicare rebates of $160.20 which we can process for you.
*** $100 is payable before your first clinical consultation. A second payment of $705 is payable before your second clinical consultation. People with private health insurance may be able to claim a benefit.
There are no hidden costs.
This price includes:
- Two clinical consultations
- Abortion medicines delivered to your home
- Pain and nausea medicines
- A special urine pregnancy test to use 14-21 days after you’ve taken the abortion medicines
- Access to specialised support services
Comparison of abortion services at MSI Australia
For a detailed comparison of the different methods of abortion care, read Understanding your options: surgical abortion vs medical abortion.
Abortion by telehealth
- Up to 9 weeks gestation
- No referral required
- Ultrasound through local imaging provider
- Phone/video clinical consultations
- Medications delivered to your home
- Support person recommended for Day 2
- Less than 4% incomplete abortion risk
- Medium to heavy bleeding
- Variable pain
- Self-managed follow up
Medical abortion in clinic
- Up to 9 weeks gestation
- No referral required (except WA)
- Ultrasound in clinic
- In person clinical consultations and support
- Medications provided in clinic
- Support person recommended for Day 2
- Less than 4% incomplete abortion risk
- Medium to heavy bleeding
- Variable pain
- Self-managed follow up
Surgical abortion
- Up to 22 weeks gestation in some states
- No referral required (except WA)
- Ultrasound in clinic
- In person clinical consultations and support
- In a licensed day surgery
- Sedation or local anaesthetic
- Support person required for pick-up
- Less than 2% incomplete abortion risk
- Light bleeding
- Follow-up not usually required
What kind of abortion can I have?
There are gestation limits on which kind of abortion you can have in Australia. To check which abortion methods are available to you, use our gestation calculator by entering the first date of your last period. This will provide you with a gestation estimate in weeks and days, which will later need to be confirmed by an ultrasound.
Contact our friendly staff
Make an abortion appointment, suited to your needs
Process for abortion by telehealth
You may be eligible for a medical abortion by telehealth if you:
- Are over 16 years of age
- Live within 2 hours of 24/7 emergency medical care such as a hospital emergency department
- Can understand and speak English (interpreter unavailable for this service)
- Have access to the internet
- Are no more than 9 weeks pregnant (63 days) at the time of your treatment*
*The first medication must be taken before 9 weeks 0 days (= 63 days) gestation, confirmed by ultrasound. Please consider this when booking, as you need to allow time to have an ultrasound, complete the telehealth consultations and have the medications delivered. This process may take up to 1 week to complete, depending on services in your area.
- You have a first phone consultation with one of our experienced doctors for a health assessment and to discuss the medical abortion process and answer your questions.
- You will then be sent an ultrasound form to take to the nearest imaging provider.
- After the ultrasound is reported back to us, you have a second phone consultation to gain your consent and the doctor will then prescribe the medication.
- The MSI pack is delivered to your preferred address within 1-3 business days.
- You take the medicines.
The MSI pack includes:
- Abortion medicines
- Pain and nausea medicines
- A special urine pregnancy test to use 14-21 days after you’ve taken the abortion medicines
2-3 weeks after your appointment, it is essential to make sure the abortion has worked.
- You will be given a special urine pregnancy test to use at home and answer a set of questions. This should be done no earlier than 14 days after your treatment. You will be given an instruction sheet to help with this.
- You can call us on 1300 003 707 if you have any concerns.
- If you need further assessment we may refer you for blood tests or an ultrasound, make an appointment for you at one of our clinics (if convenient) or ask you to see your local health practitioner.
FAQs
How is my pregnancy calculated?
Gestation is estimated by counting the days from the first day of your last period. The confirmed gestation after an ultrasound may provide a different result.
Is the procedure confidential?
Your procedure details will not be known to anyone without your consent. We will only call or email you to confirm your booking and ensure you have the information you need to proceed safely with your medical procedure.
What about future contraception?
During your telehealth consultations, you will have the opportunity to discuss your contraception options. My Best Fit is your contraception advisor and it can help you determine what contraceptive solution will work best with your priorities and lifestyle. In most cases you can start a contraceptive method immediately after medical abortion. You can start contraception such as the contraceptive pill or vaginal ring the day after the second step (taking a prostaglandin tablet) of the treatment and these methods will be effective immediately. If you have chosen an IUD, this can be inserted as soon as your abortion is complete. Speak with your GP or local women’s health centre if you are unable to attend one of our clinics.
Do I need a referral from my doctor to get an abortion by telehealth?
You do not need a referral to access our abortion by telehealth services.
What questions will I be asked?
We will ask medical questions to help determine your eligibility for your choice of termination of pregnancy procedure when you call to make your booking.
It is essential that you are at least six weeks since your last menstrual period or have a confirmed pregnancy on ultrasound. If pregnancy cannot be seen on ultrasound, you may need to reschedule your appointment.
You will be asked questions about your medical history to ensure that any risk factors are appropriately managed at your appointment. You will also be asked to consent to the procedure after explaining the process and risks involved.
How soon can I get pregnant after an abortion?
There is no lasting contraceptive protection from having an abortion, and you can ovulate as soon as two weeks after the procedure, even if you are still bleeding. Therefore, it is important that you discuss your contraception options at your consult and begin using a reliable contraception method right away.
If you have any other questions, please get in touch.